Episode VI: Return of the Green Guy
by Jo Z. Pierce
Summary: Ralph and the gang at a Halloween party. Fluff, the Force, and a convincing Luke Skywalker impersonation. William Katt, here's your chance to play it right! Don't blow it!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or situations created for tGAH nor for Star Wars; I borrow them out of love, and purely for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit from their use.

**_Halloween, 1983_**

Bill Maxwell pulled his gun out of his holster and headed for the door.

"Ralph? Is that you?"

"Trick or Treat!!" Two adult voices, mocking playful innocence, cried out from the other side of the door.

Maxwell rolled his eyes, then put the gun back in its rightful place. He opened the door to find his partner, Ralph Hinkley and his wife, Pamela standing at the door. They were fully costumed. Bill gave the couple a strange look, then muttered something that sounded like "Ah, geez, wouldja getta load of this!"

The couple were dressed in white. To Bill, they looked like they were wearing pyjamas.

"_As long as the kid has the magic jammies on underneath" _Bill thought to himself, as he looked at the tiny patch of red peeking out from underneath his partner's costume.

"So, what's the scenario, kids?" Bill said, as he grabbed his olive drab jacket and began to put it on.

"Well, thanks Bill," Ralph replied sarcastically. "We'd love to come in."

Not waiting for an invitation, Ralph and Pam walked into Maxwell's small efficiency apartment.

"Yeah, right. Come on!" Bill's adrenaline was pumping, as it often did whenever they were about to start another case. "There's no time for that, Ralph. What's going on?!"

"What's your rush, Bill?"

"You called and said you needed me!"

"We do, Bill! No one else can do this."

"...that you had a scenario going..."

"Uh, Bill, I never said scenario..."

"Give me a break, kid."

"Well, that's your word, Bill. I wouldn't say scenario."

"You always say it, Ralph!"

"Would you two just quit it!" Pam often tired of hearing the two men bickering. She was often the one who had to bring them back around to the topic. "Bill, we do need you."

Pam opened up a large bag and pulled out a black piece of clothing, and a thick brown leather belt. She handed the leather to Bill. He took it from her with one hand, then curled his lip up as he looked at her, confused. It was then that it really clicked that the two of them were standing in his apartment, dressed in full costume.

"Uh, you mind telling me what's going on, kids? And why are you dressed in your pyjamas?"

His eyebrows closed in, his eyes went beady, and the furrows in his forehead dug in deeper, as he tried to figure out what was going on. He looked at the belt in his hand, realizing it was actually a holster. _"A holster is ok,"_ he thought, as his face relaxed, just slightly, until he realized his partner and his wife had something planned for him that did not involve busting bad guys. He shot a suspicious glare back at the two figures dressed in white.

The two of them laughed, as Bill stood motionless, confused. They knew the middle aged FBI agent wouldn't get the reference, which made the joke all the more humorous.

"Don't you recognize us, Bill?" Ralph finally said, when he was able to control his laughter.

Bill looked back and forth at the pair, still a bit confused. Pam turned around, modeling a long, flowing white gown with wide sleeves. Ralph stuck out his chest, and without touching, ran his hands up and down his chest like a game show hostess might when showing of the fabulous prizes they could win. His costume was a simple white wrap around shirt of some sort, tan pants, white spats to cover his red boots, and a leather belt, with a club like object hanging off his hip.

Bill remembered it was Halloween weekend, but didn't think his troops would actually get dressed up for the occasion. He knew he wouldn't. Not since he was forced to dress like a pirate the year before, when they were on the Carlini case.

"Well," he said to Ralph, after sizing him up for a few second. "I do recognize the Counselor!"

Ralph and Pam looked at Bill in surprise, and both asked in disbelief "You do?"

"Sure. Dames with their hair like that, in the side buns. Used to see that all the time in Arizona, New Mexico. The old Indian gals, used to wear their hair that way. Zuni, I think. Right?"

Ralph's head dropped, and he shook it as he laughed.

"Bill, you have no clue, do you?"

"What? I'm right!"

Ralph pointed to the holster Pam had given to Bill.

"That's your costume. We need you, Bill. And you're the only one who can pull this off."

He looked at the holster again, then back at the couple, standing in white. He was still confused, but also a little angry and nervous.

"Um, kid, correct me if I'm wrong, but did you just say _my costume_?"

"No, Bill, I said _your costume._" He loved teasing his partner, And watching his eyes roll in aggravation. "Come on, Bill, tonight is Whitney High's Annual Halloween Costume Party. My class decided to all come in theme costumes, and they chose Star Wars!"

"Ralph, you want me to go as President Reagan?"

Ralph couldn't control his laughter anymore.

"No Bill! I'm Luke Skywalker, this is Princess Leia, and you're going to be Han Solo!!"

–**continued--**


	2. Chapter 2

Bill took off his jacket and threw it on the back of a kitchen chair.

"I'm not going to your party in this get up, Ralph."

"Aw, come on Bill. It won't be right without you! Star Wars is a great movie! They made three of them. They're really popular, with Return of the Jedi just coming out. Come on! It'll be a big hit!"

"You want me to wear my pyjamas? In public?"

"Welcome to my world, partner!" Ralph could tell that Bill had never seen the Star Wars movies. It did not surprise him, either.

"No, Bill, I promise you won't wear pyjamas. And you get to play the Harrison Ford character."

Bill thought about it for a moment. "Who's that?"

"Aw, come on, Bill," Pam chimed in. "He played Indiana Jones."

Bill looked at them, as if they were speaking a whole other language. In reality, they were.

Ralph and Pam looked at each other, at a loss for words. Finally, Ralph added a final film credit.

"And, and, and... he played the Lieutenant Colonel from _Force 10 from Navarrone._"

Pam looked confused, as Bill's eyes lit up - just a bit. Ralph put his finger to his lips, sensing Pam was going to ask about that movie. Ralph, however, didn't want to spoil the illusion for Bill. After a moment, as he reflected on the image, Bill shook his head, and grumbled a deep "Nah."

"Aw, come on, Bill. This is perfect! The three of us, fighting evil, just like Leia, Han and Luke in Star Wars! Pam is Princess Leia, who fights to free her people from the evil Empire. I am a Jedi Knight, who uses the powers of the Force to control things..."

"The force?" Bill asked.

"Yes! The force! It's an energy that binds the universe together. And if you can control it, you can control things..."

Ralph touched the patch of red that peeked out from under his white costume with his left hand, then using his right, used his telekenetic powers to pull one of Bill's guns off the wall. As it floated through the air and landed in his hand, he smiled.

"Come on, I make the perfect Luke Skywalker!! Don't you think?"

Pam smiled widely. "Yeah honey. I think you'd be much better than that Mark Hamil guy. Better looking, too!" Ralph smiled back, then came in to hug his wife. As he did, her face turned serious, and she pushed him away. Bill noticed that move, and looked at the two even more confused.

"Well, Bill," Pam explained. "Luke doesn't get the girl in the end..." By the tone of her voice, she was obviously teasing him. Ralph, understanding, played along and took an exaggerated step back.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Luke doesn't get the Princess, Bill." Ralph shook his head, and made a sad face.

Bill looked at the two of them, suspecting something. Ralph continued.

"Yeah, Bill, it seems that Han Solo gets the girl in the end... Luke's best friend and partner winds up with the woman I love..."

Bill's eyes lit up, and he tried to fight back a little smile. He began to giggle.

"Really?"

Ralph, a little defensive, shot an angry glance back at his partner.

"Han Solo does, Bill. Not you!!" He quickly returned to Pam's side, and put his arm around her.

Trying to diffuse the tension that had just mounted in the room, Pam broke in.

"Well, Han Solo is the best shot, the best pilot, and the best looking guy in all the galaxy Bill! He gets ALL the girls!!" Pam shot Ralph a knowing look.

_Play along with me_, she seemed to say, as she winked at him. _For all he knows, Han could be the best pizza maker, too. He'd never know._

"Oh, yeah, Bill. Lots of girls... every where he goes, they throw themselves at him!"

Bill was a bit skeptical, but at least willing to listen.

"Well, I dunno. What do I have to wear."

Ralph let out a single "Ha!", clapped his hands, and took the vest that Pam still held in her hands. He handed it to Bill, enthusiastic that his plan may be coming together at last.

"Ok, Bill. It's easy. You just wear your black pants, a pair of boots, and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves! We brought you the vest and the holster. That's it! Really easy!"

Bill, took the black vest. As he inspected it's simplicity, he cautiously smiled and nodded. He even chuckled briefly, as he realized that costume wouldn't be too bad.

"Bill, think of it as a Space Cowboy..."

"And I get the girls?" Bill asked, knowing it was more of a joke than anything he would really act on.

"Yup," replied Ralph. "Every last one in the movie..."

–**continued--**


	3. Chapter 3

Bill, Ralph, and Pam walked into the gym of Whitney High in their costumes. A few people, appreciating the theme, let out a series of hollers, hoots, and cheers.

"Hey! Mr. H!" a voice called out from across the floor. "You look great!" The voice was unmistakably Cyler's.

Ralph's face was in shock, as he watched his student strut across the gymnasium floor. Cool, suave, and in complete control of himself, Cyler's presence also drew a series of cheers and thundering applause!

"Cyler! That is great! I can't believe how good you look!" Ralph was glad to see his student getting into the spirit of the Halloween event.

The young man was confident and secure, standing in a black and slate blue costume, with a long matching blue cape that almost reached the floor. The gold silky lining in the cape's trim sparkled as he walked across the floor. A thick black belt and leather black belt buckle completed the look.

In a smooth and sultry voice, almost as smarmy as a used car salesman's, Cyler went right up Pam, took her hand, and kissed it.

"Hi, Princess Leia..." he said, drawing out the greeting and the name, like a smooth operator would. He knew that in the costume he could get away with a lot of things he wouldn't even dare to try.

Bill chuckled, not really getting the joke, but appreciating the absurdity of the whole scene.

Dropping out of character, Cyler turned to Bill and shook his head approvingly.

"Hey, you look great, Mr. Maxwell. I never would have guessed that you could pull something like this off, but, you know, it works! You make a pretty cool Han Solo."

The three began to laugh, as Bill stuck out his chest, just a bit.

"Well, you know," Bill said proudly. "This Solo character is the star of the movie...and well, since no one would play him as well as I could, well, I couldn't let you kids down..."

Cyler looked at Ralph, and silently mouthed the word _"star"_? Ralph put his finger up to his lips, waved his hand subtly, and shook his head quickly, begging Cyler not to blow it for them. Anxious to change the subject, Ralph turned the attention back to Cyler.

"So, uh Bill! What do you think of Cyler's Lando Calrissian?"

Bill turned to Cyler, and looked him up and down, as if inspecting the troops.

"Oh, yeah. Not bad, kid. You make a great... _Mando ... Cal whosa ... much_." Bill's final words trailed off when it became obvious that he really didn't know what he was saying. Awkward, embarrassed, and uncomfortable, he walked off, saying something about getting everyone something to drink.

The three tried to hold in the laughter, but as soon as he was out of ear range, they all began to laugh.

"I can't believe you got him to come tonight, Mr. H.!" Cyler said, as soon as he began to calm down.

"Well, Cyler, uh, _Lando_, I thought he would make a good Han Solo. And I think he looks pretty good!"

The three of them laughed again.

"Well, you'll never guess who I got to come tonight." Cyler was proud of himself, but a little nervous at the suggestion.

"Oh yeah? Who's that, Cyler?"

He smiled nervously at Ralph, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

–**continued--**


	4. Chapter 4

"Ralph, would you tell this hunka tin to get away from me?"

"But, Mr. Maxwell! I am here to assist you!" A golden figure said in a feminine voice, as it walked stiffly at Maxwell's side, carrying a few cups of punch in it's stiff fingers.

Ralph ran over to meet Bill and the golden figure by his side.

"Rhonda! Is that you?" Ralph asked his former student. "You look great! You make a great C3PO! How is everything going for you?" Rhonda had been transferred to another senior class this year, scoring well enough last year that Ralph decided she could spend her senior year in a regular program, and not in his special ed class.

"Rhonda? Is that you angel?" Bill asked, incredulously, as he turned and looked down at the golden android costume.

"Well, yeah, it is, Mr. Maxwell." She replied. She was completely covered in a hard plastic shell, leaving no clue of her real identity visible. "I figured since Mrs. Hinkley there was gonna be the princess, there wasn't really any other good parts for me to play... as a girl... well, you know."

Ralph, once again, put his finger up to his lips and shook his head. But his time he was too late.

"What?" Bill asked quickly, catching the unspoken communication going on between the two. "Ralph... what is she talking about? I thought..."

"So, Rhonda! Cyler!" Ralph said, cutting Bill off. "Who else is coming? Who's gonna be Obi Wan?"

"Oh, well, that's a bit of a surprise, too, Mr. H.!" Rhonda said, as she tried to cautiously hand over a drink to Pam. "There are gonna be a lot of surprises here tonight!"

Ralph smiled, as he looked around the gym at all the different costumes. Some were pretty good, but only his class, and some of the alumni like Rhonda, came all together, and dressed in a theme.

"You know, I bet we're gonna win that costume contest tonight!" Cyler said, as he turned to Rhonda. "We look HOT!"

Bill turned to Ralph, once again confused. "Costume contest?"

"Hey! Mr. H!"

Ralph turned around, just in time to see several other members of his class approach. He was impressed by the costumes. A few were also wearing the same costume as Ralph was, and one wore a black military uniform.

"You guys look great!! Where's Darth Vader? Any Storm Troopers?" Ralph asked.

"Are you kidding?" one of the students cried out. "Do you know how expensive it is to rent those kind of get ups?"

Bill looked at the groups of kids as they approached.

"_A buncha yahoos in their pyjamas. I just don't get it." _Bill was glad that his outfit was at least relatively normal. He reached down at his right side, admiring the leather holster that hung off his hip.

"Hey, were's Rodriguez?" Ralph asked, as his students gathered around. A few of the students dropped their heads, and sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, Mr. H., I think he's gonna blow it. You know, Paco, isn't really, well, you know..."

"What do you mean?" Ralph asked, concerned.

"Well," Cyler said cautiously. "He really wanted to come as Boba Fett. And, well, I don't know if he's gonna be able to pull it off. That's a hard costume to get going..."

Ralph understood his friend's concern, since everyone else looked so good in their costumes. It would be a disappointment if Paco showed up in something not as well designed.

"Well, guys, that's not the point. We're all just here to have a good time, right?" Ralph added, trying to once again boost morale. A few groaned in agreement.

"Uh, Ralph..." Bill stood motionless, staring in shock across the room. Caught up in conversation with his students, Ralph did not hear his partner.

"Uh, Ralph..." Bill repeated, with a little more urgency in his voice.

"What, Bill?"

"Uh... Green guy..." Bill whispered, in a gravelly and panicked voice.

"What?"

Ralph turned around to see two figures walking across the room. One, slightly hunched over and carrying a cane, was being led by the other character. Slightly taller, the second figure was covered in a dark brown cloak, with white hair and a white beard peeking out from underneath the hood.

Ralph began to laugh, seeing the two figures slowly walk across the court.

"Ralph! There's nothing funny about this..." Bill muttered under his breath. "Just get a load of that green guy...!"

"Bill, that's Yoda! And, it looks like Obi -Wan Kenobi"

"Obeee Whoobee??" Bill asked, as the two mysterious figures approached the group.

"Aw, come on, Billy!" a familiar voice asked from behind the green rubber mask. "Even I know Star Wars, and I haven't even seen 'em!!"

Bill's eyes opened wide, as he recognized the voice of his first partner, Harlan Blackford.

"Harlan? What are you doing here?"

The group laughed, watching Han Solo gawk at Yoda. Cyler stepped up, and explained.

"Well, we figured that the best person to play the wise old Jedi master would be, well, some wise old guy, you know?" Cyler patted Harlan on the back. "How you doing, Mr. B?" Yoda shook his head in reply.

"And, seeing as how you are always going on about your old partner, well, we figured it would be a good fit. So we gave 'em a call, to see if he wanted to be the old Jedi Master!"

Removing the hood from his head, the second figure next to Harlan threw back his cloak, revealing an Obi-Wan Kenobi costume.

"And, well, Master Yoda couldn't really drive himself here..." he said with a wide grin. "...so I figured I'd come along, too!"

"Ira! You made it!" Pam shrieked, delighted to see Harlan's companion, still by his side. She walked over to Ira, and gave him a big hug. "Ira, you were our only hope!" she added, joking.

Bill was still in shock, and clearly not getting all the references. But he recognized that what the kids and Ralph had pulled off here tonight was pretty special. For that alone, he smiled, as he watched the kids turn to one another, admiring one another's costumes.

"Harlan, you know about this stuff?"

"Of course I do! It's all over the radio... I heard about it on NPR just last week."

Bill chuckled, realizing that his old partner was the only one who could not see how ridiculous and fabulous they all looked tonight.

"So, Billy" Harlan asked, pulling Han Solo to the side. "What did they make you dress up as?"

"Oh, yeah, well they let me be the main character, Harlan," Bill said, in a loud and proud voice.

"You're Luke Skywalker?" Harlan replied. "Gee, Bill, I thought you'd make a better Han Solo..."

Bill shot Harlan a nasty look, then shot it's twin to Ralph, too.

"Very funny, Ralph," Bill mumbled, breaking a little smile, as he helped his old Jedi Master find a seat.

–**continued–**


	5. Chapter 5

Whitney High's principal , dressed as a knight in shining armor, stepped up to the podium. The room moaned, as he introduced himself simply as "Mr. Knight."

"That is sooo lame," Cyler said, as he shook his head at the bad pun, personified in front of the microphone.

Mr. Knight's voice echoed throughout the gym, as he made the announcement that the costume contest was about to begin.

"Well, Cyler, I appreciate all that you guys did to help pull this together." Ralph said, as the first group from the Freshman class and all dressed as Michael Jackson clones, walked to the center of the floor. "I doubt we will win, since I'd say half of us aren't even part of Whitney High, anyway!"

"That's ok, Mr. H. You know, everyone here knows our costumes are the best."

Ralph patted his student on the back.

"_And now, from Mrs. Jenson's Dance Club..." _Three ballerinas danced their way out into the center of the room.

"Well, I wish Paco would get here..." Cyler added, although he was a little worried about what he might see when he did.

"Well, you know Cyler, I wouldn't worry about it. It's all for fun."

Cyler ran his hands down the edge of his cape. He was admiring the costume, and Ralph was surprised to see how much he appreciated it.

"Where did you get that costume, Cyler. It's really nice. If I had to say, it looks professionally done!"

"Well," Cyler responded, a little embarrassed. "I made it."

"What?" Ralph was shocked.

"What, Mr. H. You didn't think I could?"

"No, Cyler, that's not it. I... I'm proud of you! That's really great!" Ralph looked around at all the store bought costumes, and realized that Cyler had done something pretty fantastic.

"You made that? Really?" Ralph felt the cape, and the silky gold lining.

"Well, yeah. Me and my Aunt Bea. She taught me how to sew it up. Spent three weekends down with the ladies at her church doing it, too."

"Really?" Ralph smiled, happy to hear it.

"But I'll deny it, if you ever tell anyone!" Cyler was not ready to let his classmates know he was proud of the first costume he ever made.

"Well, it's really good, you know. I bet you could get a job after High School working in Hollywood. You know, costume designs, props." Ralph offered, hoping the suggestion would legitimize Cyler's interest.

Cyler looked at his teacher, and nodded. Something like that could be interesting.

"_Next, from Mr. Thompson's Junior math class..."_ the announcement began, as four figures in thick rimmed glasses and dressed in square cardboard boxes walked across the floor. The boxes were each painted up like Rubik's Cubes. Everyone in the room started to laugh at the sight. It was appreciative laughter, however, as everyone began to laugh at the clever costumes pulled together by math geeks.

Still laughing, Ralph nudged Cyler. "You know, I have been practicing up on my magic tricks. I was thinking about incorporating some of that into our little show there, when they call us up..." Ralph pointed at the costume judging that was going on.

Cyler looked back at Ralph, and wondered what kinds of tricks he had up his sleeve.

–**continued–**


	6. Chapter 6

Cyler heard a knock at the window behind him. He ignored it at first, and kept watching the costume contest.

_Tap tap tap!_

Confused, Cyler looked around at the windows. The windows were 7 feet up in the air. Convinced that no one was knocking on them, he turned his attention to the contest once more.

_Tap tap tap! "Psst! Hey, Cyler!_"

Turning around, Cyler looked up into the window, and saw Paco's face peeking in. His voice was muffled by the closed window.

"How did you get up..."

"_Sssshhhh!!! Hold on! You got the music?_"

Cyler simply nodded.

"_Ok, when you're ready. We'll wait for it._"

Cyler turned around, and walked away. He tried to be careful not to be seen. Finally, he found a boom box, hidden behind a table. Pulling a tape out of his pocket, he brought the radio and cassette over to another friend, standing in the corner. They exchanged some words, then Cyler returned to the group.

The crowd cheered, as the two boys, dressed like Lenny and Squiggy, walked away. Their costumes, although not all that elaborate, had received the highest scores of the night.

"That's just cause they did a skit, Mr. H!" Cyler complained, as they walked off. "I mean, come on. They've got nothing! Nothing but a leather jacket and some hair gel!"

Ralph looked at Cyler and smiled.

"Well, we could do a little skit, too? Maybe get Han Solo to open fire, that sort of thing." Ralph fiddled with his light saber, and was sad that it didn't really light up.

"Nah, Mr. H. We'd have to prepare something. We got nothing."

Ralph turned around to his class and all his friends who joined them, and called them together. They all gathered near Harlan and Ira, who were seated on folding chairs near the wall.

"Well, listen up, guys!" Ralph said "In a few minutes, we're going to be called up to show off our costumes. If you want to, we can do a little skit. You know, role play? It may help us win the first prize."

The students and Pam all began to chatter among themselves, excited by the idea. Bill, Harlan and Ira, on the other hand, were a little nervous.

"Uh, kid, I hate to break it to you," Bill called over to his partner. "This ain't gonna work."

Ralph turned around, then agreed.

What we should do is just let me, Mrs. Hinkley, and maybe Rhonda and Cyler take the lead. You know, we can be the main players. That way, we don't mess things up."

Rhonda, starting to get stiff, asked the obvious question. "Well, what are YOU going to say?"

Ralph, tugging at his red suit underneath his Jedi costume, simply replied "Well, I'll just use the force. Don't worry. It'll be great!"

As they chatted about the possible role play, Mr. Knight tapped and blew on the microphone.

"_And now, Ralph Hinkley's class_!"

The group let out a wild cheer, excited to perform. A few of the students, dressed as Jedi, took out their light sabers and did a mock fight as they rest gathered together. Han Solo, Yoda, and Obi-Wan walked together, a bit slower and a few steps behind the rest. Cyler, in Lando's outfit, stayed behind, and slowly walked over to the entrance, where he had left his portable stereo.

Ralph, in the center of the group, decided to take the lead.

"Rebel alliance!" he began, trying to act the part. "I wanted to bring you here today to tell you about the force."

As if on cue, Cyler pressed play. Blaring from the other end of the gym, Darth Vader's theme echoed throughout the room. All eyes turned to the entrance, as a figure in black walked in. Following behind, on a chain, was an exceptionally tall, and exceptionally furry, figure. As the two approached the group, Cyler joined them, and followed them in.

The crowd roared, as they cheered and applauded.

"_Chewy!!!" _

"_Vader!!!"_

The math nerds in the Rubik's Cubes, standing in the back, began a chant.

"_Free the Wookie! Free the Wookie!"_

Another group began to sing along with the music, which immediately drew more and more people in.

"_Dum dum dum, dumdedum, dumdedum...!!"_

As Darth Vader approached Ralph, the crowd applauded more. The furry character began to growl and flailed his arms in the air.

From underneath the dark helmet, an amplified voice began to speak through heavy breathing.

"Goooood! The entire Rebel Alliance is here!"

Ralph, with a big smile on his face, was delighted to see two more characters join in. He wasn't sure who they were, however, since their faces were both covered. He decided, however, that this would be a good opportunity to continue with his skit.

"Darth Vader! Who are you??" Ralph asked, hands on his hips.

The amplifier coming from under the helmet continued to project heavy breathing.

"Vader! I ask again!" Ralph insisted. "Who are you??"

"I am your father..."

With that, a thunderous roar of cheers, laughs, and applause filled the room, echoing through the hallways. Ralph waited for the applause to die down.

"Vader! You are not my father!!" Ralph continued, improvising.

"I AM your father...Indeed, _the force_ is strong with this one, but not his memory..."

Again, the crowd began to laugh and applaud.

"Vader, I will ask one more time. Who are you?" Before the figure in black could answer, Ralph gently pulled at his red suit with his left hand, and extended his right hand out, as if trying to use the force. Instead, using his telekinetic powers, Darth Vader's helmet slowly began to lift up off of the figures head.

The entire gymnasium froze in silence, aside from the Vader theme music, still pounding in the background. The helmet lifted off and hovered inches above Vader's head.

In shock, the seven and a half foot Wookie lost its balance, and tumbled to the ground. Metal stilts clanked as they hit the ground, still inside the furry costume.

Everyone was silent, except Bill, who was not surprised by his partner's powers. Instead, he was more surprised at the revelation of Vader's true identity.

"Villicana??? What are you doing here??"

Ralph rushed up to Vader, and grabbed the helmet that was floating above. He looked at Tony, patted him on the shoulder, and softly whispered "Hey Tony. Glad to see you back in school." Typically Tony would have offered a reply, but he was still too stunned.

Ralph finally turned to the audience, and, as if the entire scene had been scripted, said in a loud voice "And may the force be with all of you!"

He took a bow.

Maybe it was magic. Maybe it was the force. Either way, it was beyond explanation. After a moment or two, the crowd suspended belief and let out a grand and glorious cheer for Ralph Hinkley and his group. Cyler and a few others helped the Wookie back get back on his elevated feet.

Bill walked up to Ralph from behind, and put an arm around his shoulder. Still smiling, he added, through grit teeth, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"

Ralph, bowing for his students, colleagues, and guests, just smiled.

–**continued–**


	7. Chapter 7

Ralph and Pam knocked on his door again. They could hear the opening theme music coming from inside his apartment. They knew he was home.

"All right, boys and girls. Just in time..."

Bill opened the door. Without looking at them, he let his friends inside. Bills eyes were fixed on the black and white television screen, and he was busy nibbling at a sandwich.

"Uh, Bill, where'd you get this set up?"

"Huh? Oh? The Betamax? Timmy from down the office let me borrow it. I might have to get one." Bill sat down at a chair and watched as the introductory words moved across the screen.

"So, I take it Bill that you enjoyed the party?"

Bill ignored the two, as he read the screen, moving his lips in unison.

"You know, Bill, this movie has a little green guy in it, too." Ralph said, jokingly.

Bill looked up, a his face went a little pale and he swallowed hard.

After a minute thinking about it, Bill finally he turned to Ralph.

"Green guys? No such thing! You must be thinking of Harlan, my old Jedi Master..."

Bill turned up the volume, and invited his friends to watch the show.

--**End**--


End file.
